Hang In There, Dean
by Abzy
Summary: Set just after Good God, Y'all (Season 5 Ep 2), this very Destiel-based story illustrates Dean's mental and physical suffering, and how he must get over it to conquer evil. Quite a lot of Destiel fluff as Cas helps Dean through his struggle, along with Dean's brother, Sam.
1. I Give Up

Wandering down the darkening, desolate road, Dean forced himself not to reflect on Sam. Sam, who he hoped was heading to a normal, stress-free life right now. Not working a job. Well, not of the supernatural kind, anyway. But Dean couldn't help himself from hating the way he didn't stop Sam leaving. He could no longer protect him, and without that, Dean had no idea what his meaning of life was. It was Sam's choice to leave though. Sure, Dean didn't stop him, but he didn't encourage Sam either.

All of a sudden, Dean was wrapped in a blanket of unwanted memories. The heat of the fire that killed his Mum, the pain of seeing his Dad dead on the hospital floor, the slicing of a knife in hell, the wetness of Sam's blood as he lay lifeless in Dean's arms, the sharp claws and menacing growls of the hell hounds... The damn hell hounds. Dean let out a cry of anguish and collapsed onto his knees. This was it. He had finally given up.

The sound of his name startled him, brought him back to the reality of the cold road he was lying on. Twisting his head around slightly, Dean saw the bottom of a spotless light brown trench coat.  
"Cas?" Dean choked on his words, the thoughts still vivid in his mind.  
"I... sensed that you were... in some sort of distress." Cas turned away, suddenly embarrassed.  
"Well, that's an understatement." Mumbled Dean, attempting to lighten the mood. Cas offered his hand as support. Dean gripped it gratefully, and was instantly hauled upright.

"Gently there, Cas" he joked, gaining his balance. Once he was steady on his feet, he glanced over at Cas, who had a soft smile lighting up his face. Despite the pain, Dean couldn't help but let it reflect on him.

In response, Cas hesitantly laid an arm on Dean's shoulder. Dean didn't back away. In fact, he leaned in closer. Then Cas understood what human comfort was. It was imagining that you were in that situation, and imagining what you'd want someone to do to make you feel better. Unfortunately, Cas was still an angel, so he wasn't sure what he'd want someone to do to him if he were Dean. But he guessed.

"You okay?" Asked Cas, turning to Dean, who was still safely leaning on his hand. Dean gave a silent nod, which turned to a shake of the head and a glistening tear rolling gently down his cheek.  
"Stupid question, sorry." Cas faced Dean, and he wrapped his remaining arm around Dean's tense body. Dean blinked his watering eyes, and stared at the wall of a boarded up building opposite him. On the building, he saw the shadow of Cas' graceful wings spreading out, each beautiful feather outlined on the brickwork. Then, Dean realised what Cas was doing. Cas wrapped his wings tightly around Dean, who didn't feel them exactly, but he felt the warmth and protection they provided.

"Thank you."

That moment could've lasted forever; Dean finally felt comforted and Cas was feeling human emotion. But all good moments have to end, and this one ended due to a small noise in an alley just down the road. It was a rustling noise, probably just a rodent. However, both Cas and Dean felt the need to investigate. Cas' wings slipped away, much quicker than they had come, and both Dean and Cas let go of each other.

If Cas hadn't appeared, Dean would've stayed collapsed in the road, almost willing the animal or whatever it was to end him there and then. But now, as Dean realised that his Mum was right when she said angels were watching over him, he felt a spark in his gut. A light at the end of the tunnel. An upside to his pain. A trust that even Sam could not provide.

"You ready Dean?" Once again, Cas' voice had returned Dean to reality. Dean gripped at the knife tucked in his waistband and replied;  
"Ready."  
"3," Cas started.  
"2," Dean responded.  
"1!" They shouted this so loudly that they probably scared off whatever had made the noise. Nonetheless, they jumped into the entrance of the alley, both in defensive positions, both watching each others' backs. But the alley was silent, deserted.  
"We lost it!" Dean growled, although he was quite sure it was only an animal anyway.  
"Nevermind," Cas assured, "you shouldn't be working a job anyway. Not in this state." Dean nodded in agreement, looking into those shining blue eyes of the angel. Cas stared back, and they held that gaze for what seemed like forever.

That was when Dean felt the blade pierce his back.


	2. What To Do Next?

"NO!" Yelled Cas, rushing over, providing his arms as a support for Dean to fall into. Cas frantically searched the alley with his eyes, wondering what could possibly sneak up on him. But once again, the alley was empty. Cas quickly turned his attention back to the groaning Dean in his arms.

"It's ok, you'll be ok." Even though Cas spoke these words, he wasn't quite sure that he believed them himself.

Removing one arm and laying it on Dean's forehead, Cas willed for Dean to be healed. Nothing happened. Cas knew there were certain things he couldn't do now that he'd been cut off from heaven, but he didn't know that healing was one of them.

Wondering what to do, Cas decided to tend to Dean the way he'd seen humans do to each other.  
"I will lift you up now," Informed Cas, not sure on what else to say. He returned his hand he'd attempted healing with back underneath Dean, who was biting his lip to stop himself from screaming. Cas stretched his legs, looking empathetically at Dean's stab wound. Coughing up blood, Dean managed two words;  
"Ov-over th-there." Weakly, Dean raised an arm to point at the boarded up building, the one that had not long ago held the shadow of angel wings, of pure beauty. Cas caught on, and although he was shaking with shock, he walked at a rapid pace. One thought was racing through his mind;  
Must... save... Dean...  
Cas kicked at one of the boards that was concealing the secrets of the building. Luckily, Cas still had great strength, and the board snapped cleanly in two, leaving a make-do doorway. Ducking into the hole, Cas shifted Dean so he didn't smack onto the wall either side. Dean whimpered at being moved, but he didn't resist. He still had complete trust in Cas.

Lowering Dean stomach-side-down onto the cold floor, Cas searched for something more comfortable. The building was empty, however, so Cas pondered on what to do next. He noticed Dean trying to say something, but the blood was choking him. Cas ran over to him, twisting him onto his back and lifting him gently into a sitting position. Dean spat the blood on the floor and managed to say "Pressure" before falling into unconsciousness. Cas dragged Dean so he was sat upright against the wall, arms hanging loosely by his side. Lifting Dean's shirt up, Cas revealed the sore wound.

Then Cas stood up, rushing to slide his majestic coat off his arms. Scruffily folding the coat into a smallish bundle, he pressed the material onto Dean's back. Although Dean was unconscious, he still winced at the pressure. But because he'd asked for it, Cas was sure that what he was doing was right. However, Cas was clueless about what to do next. Until an idea hit him; he didn't know what to do, but he knew someone who did.

Cas reached for his pocket, before realising that his coat was covering Dean's wound. Not even thinking about it, Cas relieved himself of his jet-back suit jacket, folded it, and traded it for the coat. Cas found the pocket, and fumbled in it for his phone. Aha!

Cas clumsily scrolled down the contacts until he got to 'S'. There weren't many people, though, because Cas could track most of them. But with the unique markings he'd given Sam and Dean to hide them from both angels and demons, Cas couldn't find them with his mind. 'Sam W'. Cas phoned Sam, eagerly waiting for a reply. Voicemail. Cas was quite unaware of how voicemail worked, so he turned the phone off in dismay. Replacing the phone in the pocket of his coat, Cas wondered:  
What to do now?

Deciding to tend to the basic human needs, Cas took one last look at Dean, then stepped out the door. Leaving him alone was painful, but Cas was doing what he thought best. Even so, Cas hopped back in and stroked Dean's forehead, wiping the sweat and blood away with one clean action.  
"I'll be back soon," he promised. He was out the door once again, but not before giving Dean a light but passionate kiss on the cheek.


	3. The Pain of Healing

A few buildings down was a gas station that had a neon '24/7' sign outside. Cas didn't know what that meant, but the light was on inside, so he proceeded into the shop. Cas grabbed bottled water, along with the food he knew Dean would buy if he were in there.

At the checkout, the cashier commented on how he was only wearing a shirt and how he must be freezing, but Cas just shrugged and handed over the money.

Racing back to the abandoned building, Cas felt a sudden shock of fear and worry. The same thought from earlier crept into his head;  
Must... Save... Dean...  
This spurred him to run even faster, so fast that when he entered the building he whacked his head on the bricks above the entrance. However, because he was an angel and because his skin was like steel, the bricks took the blow, crumbling into tiny pieces.

"Dean?" Dean was exactly where he'd been left, except now he was blinking as he started to register Cas' soothing voice.  
"Thank goodness you're okay. Here, have a drink." Cas grabbed a bottle from his bag, unscrewed the lid, and held it at Dean's mouth with unsteady hands.  
"Better?" Dean gave a weak nod in reply. Cas was unsure what the bad feeling was about before. He'd had them previously, some meant something and some didn't. He decided that this one didn't.  
"I... Um... Thought you might like this as well." Cas reached into the bag, and pulled out the food he'd bought.  
"Really, Cas?" Dean choked, "Pie?"  
"Do you want it?"  
"Yes, actually." Dean even surprised himself, because his appetite didn't seem to be affected by his pain. Cas broke the pie into bite size pieces, feeding them to Dean. Occasionally, Dean would ask for water, and Cas would reply with obedience. But Dean was mainly focused on consuming the pie.

When the pie was finished, Cas tilted Dean forward and removed his jacket from Dean's wound. It was bleeding. Badly.  
"Should I... Erm... Wash it?" Cas asked, very curious as to what he should do.  
"Okay." replied Dean, although he wasn't too keen on the idea. Cas cautiously twisted Dean onto his stomach, giving him the coat to rest his chin on.  
"Here we go." Announced Cas, as he tipped the bottle slightly. Water trickled onto Dean's back, right into the wound. It was deep. Dean tensed and arched his back, desperately trying not to scream. Damn, this was painful.  
"It's ok, Dean, it's ok." Cas placed a gentle hand onto Dean's shoulder, wondering if he remembered the kiss. After a while of staying in that position, Cas asked;  
"Ready to go again?"  
"I think so..." Dean didn't want to suffer the pain again, but he knew that the wound needed to be cleaned to stop the risk of a deadly infection.  
Cas dripped the water in and around Dean's injury, trying to ignore Dean thrashing around and the cries of pain he could obviously no longer keep in. Blood was now trickling from Dean's back onto the floor, onto Cas, but Cas didn't care, because he just wanted Dean to be alright.

"Sshh, it's ok, it's ok. It's over." Cas tossed the empty bottle aside and sat next to Dean's shivering head. He grabbed his jacket and covered the wound again, applying pressure like before. With his other hand, Cas tucked Dean's hair behind his ears, stroked it off his forehead, and stared deeply into those eyes that seemed to be struggling to focus. For a long time, both Dean and Cas just stayed in that moment. So much was wrong, yet it felt so perfect to be there; alone, together.

No matter how much Cas wanted to stay there, though, he knew that he wasn't really helping with Dean's injury. He needed Sam. So Cas removed his shirt, leaving his top half bare (aside from his tie), and swapped the shirt for the coat.  
"Sorry," he whispered to Dean for disturbing him, before searching in his pocket where he'd left his phone. Turning it on, Cas found Sam in contacts and rung again, willing him to pick up.  
"Hello?"  
A grin spread across Cas' face as he discovered that he was so close to getting Dean healed now. Cas was so happy, in fact, that he forget to reply.  
"Is anyone there?"  
"Yes, Sorry. It's Cas."  
"Hi Ca..."  
"Look, no time. Just tell me where you are."  
"I'm in 'The Turner's Motel', in East California."  
"Meet me at the entrance."  
Cas hung up the phone, told Dean he'd be back in a minute, and disappeared.


	4. Sam Knows How

Waiting impatiently outside the motel, Cas finally spotted Sam rushing out the door.

"What's this about?" Sam asked curiously. "And why are you topless?"  
But before Cas had answered, he'd flashed both of them back to the abandoned house, along with Sam's luggage that he'd left in the motel room.  
"This." Replied Cas, pointing to Sam's brother lying half conscious on his front. But he didn't need to, because Sam was already crouched at his brother's side calling his name. In response, Dean managed to get out;  
"Sammy, you look worse than me." Sam smiled to himself.  
"It is like two in the morning." Dean grinned.  
"No excuses."  
"Look, there's no time for this." Interrupted Cas. "Dean needs help. Here." Cas removed the jacket and let Sam inspect the wound.  
"Okay, I'll be back in a sec," Sam announced, before ducking through the miniature exit.

"Thanks Cas."  
"What for?"  
"Everything." Cas studied Dean, then said;  
"Go to sleep. You need it." Dean didn't need to be told twice. He was soon in a deep, dreamless sleep. Cas slumped down the wall at Dean's feet. All he could do now was wait.

It wasn't long before Sam came back, a bag full of different items. Cas lifted a finger to his lips then pointed at Dean, indicating that he was sleeping.  
"Sorry," Sam apologised, "but I have to do this now." He gently shook Dean by the shoulders, awakening him from his few minutes of precious sleep.  
"Nice rest?"  
"Not a bad one. Not a long one, though." Dean jokingly scowled at Sam, who just smiled to himself as he grabbed several items from his bag.

First, he sprayed the wound with some anti-biotics, to which Dean winced. Cas saw that the next part of the healing process wasn't going to be any easier, so he crouched at Dean's side, taking Dean's hand in both of his.  
"Just relax," Cas ordered, as Sam proceeded to wipe the rest of the blood away with some special first-aid wipes. Dean squeezed Cas' hand at the tender parts, and did his best to lie still. Next, what seemed to be the final part, as Sam placed a large, soft bandage on Dean's back. He applied pressure, which made Dean squeeze Cas' hand again, but when the pressure was gone, he didn't stop. Sam taped the bandage to Dean's back, and pulled his shirt back down to cover it.  
"Done." Sam stated, to which Dean smiled and seemed thankful. He still didn't release his grip on Cas, though, who had resulted in lying next to Dean.

Sam sat the other side of Dean, and Sam and Cas watched as Dean fell into a peaceful sleep. Eventually, Sam did too, leaving Cas to himself. So Cas decided to investigate who-or what-did this to Dean.


	5. Investigations

Studying every inch of the alley, Cas was deep in concentration. What could've hidden in the alley, snuck up on them both, hurt Dean so badly, then disappear again the way the attacker did?

Behind a dumpster, Cas noticed a blood-soaked knife. It was almost definitely the one used to stab Dean. Cas wiped the blood on the dumpster, not caring if it would look like a crime scene. He would protect Sam and Dean from any dangers, including the cops.

The handle was small and silver, and had no special markings like the one a witch or demon may use. The actual blade was long, and looked as if it had been recently sharpened. Whatever did this to Dean was preparing for an attack. Judging by the size of the handle, it was a small creature, too. Could mean it would be easier to hunt.

Cas was wearing his shirt and jacket again, leaving Dean resting on his coat, so he slipped the knife in his waistband, concealed by his jacket. He must keep searching to find more clues.

He followed the alley. It became very narrow and stank of wee, cigarette smoke, and goodness only knows what else. Must be a rough part of town, Cas thought.

When he finally reached the end of the alley, Cas found himself in a village. The houses were very small, and the whole road was a mess. Rubbish bags were strewn across the muddy road, front gardens in desperate need of a mow or a tidy up. Because of all the mess, it would be very easy for a creature to hide. Especially if it were a small one, like Cas suspected.

Cas turned around, heading back down the alley the way he had come. Carefully searching the ground for anything he might have missed, all Cas saw were a few crisp packets (which would explain the rustling they had heard the night Dean was stabbed) and a few coins that had obviously fallen out of someone's pocket. Cas didn't feel the need to study either, but he picked up the coins, as money can be very useful.

As Cas approached the street, he decided that he didn't need to walk back, so he disappeared and reappeared behind a still sleeping pair of brothers.

Cas made sure that he remained silent, as he tip-toed to the boys' feet, and there he sat, watching over them.

Dean's snores were rare but amusing, and Cas found himself smiling on more than one occasion due to this.

Sam was lying with his face looking at Dean; he was obviously watching him and protecting him right up until he fell asleep.

Still lying on his front, Dean was exposing his back. Cas felt it necessary to take a look, make sure that Dean wasn't bleeding out of the bandage. He used his gentle hands to lift up Dean's shirt without awakening him. Only a small patch of blood was visible on the bandage, which was a good sign. This meant that the bleeding had probably stopped. Cas lay his hand next to the bandage, and willed Dean to be healed once more. To check, Cas lifted up the bandage, but Dean's back still had a huge hole in it.

Cas compared the shape and size of the hole with the blade in his waistband; identical. At least we know what weapon was used, Cas thought to himself. He replaced Dean's bandage and shirt, just as Sam began to wake up.

Sam's movements soon awoke Dean, and not long after they were both sat up against the wall, listening to Cas telling them about his night.

"You looked at my back while I was sleeping? How did I not wake up?" Questioned Dean. Cas replied with;  
"Angels have a gentle touch."  
"So, we're dealing with a small creature, who is looking for a fight, is not scared of angels, and probably doesn't have sharp claws or teeth as it stabs with a knife." Stated Sam.  
"Correct," confirmed Cas, along with "it probably doesn't have a purpose for fighting either, otherwise it would've carried Dean away or at least made sure he was dead. It looks like the creature is killing-or injuring-for the fun of it."  
"Why are we just sat around here instead of lining this place with salt, holy water, and devil's traps then?" Asked Dean, seemingly frustrated. In response, Sam offered to get the salt and water, leaving Cas to draw some devil's traps and Dean to rest.

"I tried to heal you, Dean," confessed Cas, "but I couldn't."  
"What do you mean, 'you couldn't'?"  
"I think that is another power that was taken from me when I was cut off from heaven."  
"Oh." Dean didn't know how to respond; talking to people (and angels) was Sam's job.  
"Thanks anyway."  
"That's okay."  
"So, you looked at my back while I was sleeping. Anything else you did while I was unconscious?"  
"Actually, yes."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. It was some human emotion, unknown to me, but I felt the urge to kiss you. So I did. On the cheek."  
"Ok... That emotion is called love."  
"Like the love I have for my Father?"  
"No, no... No. That's... Family love, I guess. This is more... Uh... Romantic love."  
"Like the kind that makes people get married, have sex, and have babies?"  
"Yes Cas. Next time, spare the details."  
"Ok..."  
Cas began to draw a devil's trap on the ceiling, his cheeks a bright shade of red. He refused to look at Dean until Sam got back.

As Sam arrived and the protections were almost complete, Cas heard a noise outside. The same rustle he'd heard in the alley.  
"It's coming."


	6. Truth

Sam, Dean and Cas all stood in a semi-circle looking outwards to the only entrance they knew of. Dean was weakest by far, yet he was determined to fight. He had three guns each with different ammo; rock salt in his left hand, silver in his right, and normal bullets tucked into his waistband. He'd also pocketed a silver knife.

Sam clung to the knife that'd been found in the alley; was obviously more prepared for face-to-face fighting than Dean. He also had a flask of Holy water on the floor next to him, syringe filled filled with dead man's blood in his jacket pocket, and a gun with silver bullets.

Cas, standing in the centre, was not armed. Instead, he trusted that his power to send demons back to Hell and to kill or knock out practically anything were still in his possession. Sam placed a gun filled with normal bullets and a silver-tipped steak in Cas' coat pocket anyway. Cas knew they were there, but was very unwilling to use them.

The atmosphere was so tense, you could slice it with a knife. Everyone was prepared for the worst, so when a teenage boy poked his head through the entrance, they were all in shock.

"What are you doing here? You need to leave! Something is coming. It stabbed my brother, now it could be back to kill us all!" Sam shouted, angry that he had been so afraid of a teenager.  
The boy emerged; he looked about 13, was wearing worn clothes, and didn't look the least bit worried about what Sam had to say.  
"What are you on about?" The stranger asked boldly.  
"Dean, show him your back." Cas demanded.  
"No." Dean refused. Sam looked at him with a stern, disapproving look.  
"Alright, fine. But you better watch him." Dean turned around and lifted up his shirt, allowing the boy to see the bandage. When the boy remained unimpressed, Sam removed the bandage, revealing the deep stab wound. Now the boy looked shocked.

"I did that? OMG, I am SO sorry. It was jus' a dare, I didn't mean to, honest." Sam, Dean and Cas looked at the boy with confusion for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, Sam spoke up;  
"You did this to my brother?" He cocked the gun filled with silver bullets, ready to shoot if the boy advanced.  
"Woah, yeah, but I didn't mean to do tha'."  
"What did you think stabbing me was gonna do, give me happy dreams?" Dean asked sarcastically.  
"No, no. I only meant for the blade to cut a little bit, I didn't mean for it 'o dig a hole in ya back."  
Cas, to Sam and Dean's surprise as much as the boy's, suddenly forced the boy in a sitting position against the wall.  
"You're going to tell us EVERYTHING, then we decide if you leave unharmed." Cas ordered. Dean allowed himself to smile at the angel's bossiness.  
"And don't try to lie, either," Sam added, "we'll be able to tell, trust me."  
"Okay," came a weak reply, "just don't hurt me."  
"No promises." Remarked Dean.  
"I'm getting kinda glad I stabbed you actually." The boy mumbled with a smirk. Unfortunately for the boy, Sam had heard, and he ran up to him, cocked gun pointing at his temple.  
"You wanna say that again?" Sam questioned, though he knew the answer.  
"No, no, I'm sorry, okay. I didn't mean to. Okay, so I was hanging around with me friends, and one of 'em dared me to stab the next adult that came near the alley. So I waited, and I heard you comin'. You even pointed 'em guns at me, but I hid behind the dumpster all ninja-like. Then you two started starin' at each other, proper girl-like, an..."  
"Wait, what? You stared at each other? I thought something was different around here. Is there something going on between you guys?" Asked Sam.  
"Not the time, Sam." Replied Dean through gritted teeth. "Continue."  
"So, I thought that I should strike there, otherwise I might miss me chance, then me mates 'ould call me a chicken. So I did, then I ran for it all tip-toe-like so you didn't hear me. That was when I heard ya scream, and I realised how bad I'd hurt ya. Thought I'd wait for a bit then come round here to apologise."  
"Go on then," commanded Cas, "apologise."  
"I'm sorry, okay, I don't want fings like this hangin' over me, so I'm sorry."  
"You almost killed me, and you want me to forgive you, just like that?" Dean gave the boy an evil glare.  
"Kinda, yeah."  
"Sam, a word," said Dean in response. He nodded his head towards the road.  
"Cas," Dean added, "don't let the boy go."


	7. A Plan

After quite a while, the boys emerged. Both Cas and the teenager were exactly where they had been left, though.  
"Okay Cas," informed Dean, "Sam has managed to convince me that we should let the boy go. Is this your knife?" Dean held up the knife that Sam was armed with, the one that was found in the alley.  
"Um... Yeah." The boy replied, not knowing what else to say.  
"Here, think fast." Called Dean, as he threw it at the boy. Luckily, the boy caught it handle-first. Dean had thrown it that way, though, because he was not like the boy. He would not stab a human. Not unless they weren't human anymore.  
"Go, now." Ordered Sam. When the boy refused to move, still in shock, Sam shouted  
"LEAVE!"  
Just as the boy was going, Dean spoke out to him;  
"Hold that knife in front of you incase other disgraces to the human race like you come along and try to stab you."  
The boy was confused, but did as he was asked, just as the cops ran in from both ends of the street.  
"Transport us, Cas... NOW!" Dean ordered. Cas grabbed both of their shoulders, and they all slumped into the Impala.  
"My baby," Dean whispered, stroking the dashboard, "you okay? Sorry for leaving you."  
But Cas seemed to have other things on his mind.  
"What was that?"  
"An anonymous tip to the cops that an armed teenage boy was threatening people around town." Responded Sam.  
"Nice." Approved Cas.  
"Now, what was that about you two staring at each other?"


	8. Destiel

Dean and Cas shared an awkward glance, each willing the other to speak. Eventually, it was Dean who explained;  
"You were gone. I... I was about to give up, Sammy. Give up on everything. But then Cas was there, and even though his healing powers are gone... Well, he healed me. Not all angels are dicks, Sammy." Tears were welling up in Dean's eyes, which were looking directly into Sam's. Cas poked his head between the seats, eager to be part of the conversation.  
"So, you two are... In love?" Sam wondered.  
"Well, we haven't had sex, if that's what you mean. And I don't love him like I love my Father. It is the sex kind of love, but we just haven't had sex. I kissed him, though." Both Sam and Dean burst out laughing, unable to help themselves at this amusing statement. Cas seemed hurt, ashamed, even. Dean picked up on this.  
"Sorry, Cas. We... We didn't mean it like that." Dean put an arm on Cas' shoulder.  
"You are forgiven." Cas said, very matter-of-factly.

After a while of just sitting in the car, Sam offered to drive so Dean could sit in the back with Cas. Dean happily accepted, and made his way to the back.

Once Dean was settled, Cas was the first to talk.  
"You alright, Dean? I can imagine the pain that you're feeling, knowing a teenage boy could damage you so badly."  
"I'm fine, Cas." Cas studied him, unsure if he was just saying that he was ok when he was dying inside, like he had before. Dean noticed, and in response, said;  
"I'm fine. Honestly. Sam's my brother, it's my job to protect him, and he's safe. I've never honestly been fine, though, because no-one had the job of protecting me, not really. But now you're here, and I feel safe, protected, warm, like a hole in my heart has been filled. Cas... I love you." Dean stopped, feeling tears in his eyes. Cas reached out and hugged him, not even hesitating. After being in each others' arms for a few seconds, Cas responded with four words:  
"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N-**Thanks for reading! This was my first ever fanfic. I haven't finished the Supernatural series yet so apologies if I didn't get the characters quite right. I've seen all of them up to (and past) 'Good God, Y'all' where it was set, though. I hope you like my shipping, too. I tried to capture Dean and Cas' personalities and add some romance, while adding Sam to the situation. It was hard, but I love writing fanfic and I'll definitely do some more :)


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